The hulking beast continued it's charge towards him and thinking fast, Liam ran to meet it head on. Its jaws opened, prepared to bite him in two or crush him with the momentum of its large body, but at the last moment before they collided Liam dropped down to the floor and slid between the creature's legs and all the way underneath it.
He threw a quick [Analyze] at it as he passed under it, trying to get an idea of what he was up against.
[Unknown Undead, Level 20]
[520/520]
As soon as he was able, Liam jumped to his feet and turned around, attempting to strike the exposed back of the beast. Unfortunately for him, it was out of range as it had kept on going and charged passed where he had stood, stopping just before it would hit the wall at the bend. Then, just as he was about to approach it and attack whilst it was faced away from him, the thing's body began to shift and crack. It's spine compressed in on itself, shortening and bending it's frame. Then, with it's front feet planted firmly on the ground, it began to turn, sickening pops echoing down the passageway as its, now hind, legs were rotated until they were facing the opposite direction from its body. It faced him once more and lifted it's back limbs off the ground where they snapped and cracked around until they were facing the right way again.
Liam stared at the beast in shock, only breaking out of his stupor when it unleashed another blood chilling roar in his direction. It charged again and he retreated away from it, backpedaling until he turned the corner and pressed himself against the wall around it. He heard the thundering steps get closer until it slammed into the wall opposite him with ots side and it's momentum carried it passed him.
His axe struck out and left a gash down it's side, the sharp edge slicing through the flesh with ease. Fire blossomed and lit up the corridor as it burned away anything in the weapon's path. It's Health dropped a measly 19 points from the wound and Liam quickly retreated back to where he had originally come from.
He rushed to prepare for it whilst he had the time, tucking his axe between his arm and side and picking up two swords from the remains of the [Lesser Skeletons] on the ground. Since it had evolved, his axe had been picky about which bones it absorbed and had refused anything that came from a Lesser Undead, a fact he was grateful for now. He hurried into action as he heard the echoing of snaps and pops coming from around the corner of the passageway.
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He stabbed the first sword horizontally into the wall as high as he could reach, attempting a few times until the blade broke into the earth and was buried halfway. Then he took a few steps back from it and took ahold of his axe again. He ran at the wall and then jumped, his enhanced Strength propelling him upwards. He kicked off the slanted wall with his left foot to go further, and then the blade of the bone sword with his right as he passed it, his newly improved Dexterity helping him keep his balance as he did so. Then he swung his axe overhead, biting deep into the wall at the apex of his jump. With a massive exertion of Strength, he pulled himself upwards by the axe handle and reached below himself with his other hand, stabbing his second blade into the wall like the first. He placed both his feet firmly on the sword and crouched, holding onto axe with both hands to steady himself.
He took the tattered remains of his shirt and scattered them to either side of the passageway, spreading his scent across it and hoping to confuse the beast on the chance that it relied on smell to track him. Then he waited an agonizing few seconds for the beast to round the corner again.
It moved round it warily, having learned is lesson from the trick he had pulled on it. Its head swept side to side looking for him whilst Liam crouched above, hoping that it wouldn't look up. It slowly plodded down the corridor, swiveling its head back and forth to try and find his hiding place. It reached underneath him and stopped,standing stock still as it peered at something on the floor. Liam held his breath but worried the sound of his heartbeat would give him away as it took to hammering against his chest. Seeing how little damage he has done with such a solid blow had chased away all thoughts of him fighting this thing. Even if his [Spirit of Death] Power doubled his damage, he would still need over ten such hits before it would start to truly feel it. Meanwhile, he had no doubt that one sweep of its massive paws would bring him to death's door. So instead of engaging in a suicidal fight, he put his bets of survival on this plan he cooked up in the heat of the moment.
He watched the thing lift its head, up and up until it passed its usual eyeline. It raised it until it was looking towards the clouded horizon. But then it stopped. Liam caught a sigh of relief in his lungs and killed it before it could doom him. He kept looking down at the beast and hoping.
The undead froze like that for a few seconds before it opened its maw gaping wide and let out the loudest roar to date. It shook the ground, the walls, and Liam's body so hard he actually took damage. His grip almost slipped as the weapons he used as a perch attempted to shake free of the earth, but he held them in place and bit back a grunt of pain.
Then, the beast was off, charging down the passageway once again, hunting for him with a fury only the dead possessed.
Liam let out the breath he had been holding and took a deep one back in, trying to make up for the oxygen he had lost. Shakily, he lowered himself to a sitting position on the sword and leaned sideways on against the wall. He was alive.